


Gilded Cage

by Sensinister



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 15-Year-Old Harry, Abusive Voldemort, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Bad Dumbledore, Bad Parenting, Bargaining, But Harry sees them as Friends, But There Still is the Prophecy, But they are also Friends, Genius Harry, Good Lucius Malfoy, Harry James Potter is Hadrianus Salazar Gaunt, Harry Potter is Not the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter is Voldemort's Child, Harry Potter is Voldemort's Unwilling Heir, Harry Potter was Raised by Voldemort, Harry and Voldemort are Not Related Though, Hogwarts is the Base of the Light, Home Schooled Harry, It was the Number I Pulled from the Hat, Lily and James are Crap Parents in this, Lily and James have Visitation Rights, Lucius is Harry's Bodyguard, Lucius is Voldemort's Favorite Death Eater, M/M, Main Story starts with Harry as an Eleven Year Old, Minor James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Older Man/Younger Man, Post-First War with Voldemort, Prisoner Harry, Protective Lucius, Ron and Hermione are Harry's Servents, The Potters Live, The Potters Sold Their Son to Voldemort For Their Lives, There is No Boy-Who-Lived, Veela Harry, Veela James, Veela Lucius, Voldemort is a BAD person, Wizarding Age of Concent is 14
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-25
Updated: 2015-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-25 15:57:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3816331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sensinister/pseuds/Sensinister
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of a child sold to end a war. On October 31, 1980, Lily and James gave up their son to the Dark Lord Voldemort, ending the war with the Dark Lord victor. Years later, Hadrianus Salazar Gaunt, the adopted heir of Lord Voldemort who once was named Harry James Potter, struggles to survive in a world where he is caged in like a bird, longing for freedom outside of his beautiful world of ballrooms and locked doors. He strives for adventure from the locked golden cage he resides in, unaware that adventure will come sooner than he expects. Can he be the savior they ask for, or has he spent to long sheltered by the dark to bring the world to salvation?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue (The Clock Ticks On)

**~*~~*~~*~~*~**

**Author: Sensinister**

**Title:** **Gilded Cage**

**Chapter: 00 - Prologue (The Clock Ticks On)**

**~*~**

It was August 01, 1980 when Voldemort made his intention to believe in a prophesy only made the month before known. He could have chosen either of the boys born to parents who had defied him three times, a choice not given to his other victims even on his most merciful days, but in Voldemort's mind the last day on the last hour was significantly more befitting of the death of the seventh month than the first hour of the day before last. The Potters and their newly born heir ran in fear when they realized they were the chosen targets, like any sane parents would, but then they devised a plan that had them actively seeking out the Dark Lord for a bargain.

On the last day of October 1980 a bargain was struck. In return for the life of their child, James and Lily Potter gave Voldemort knowledge to destroy the Order of the Phoenix and the current Ministry, effectively handing the win to Voldemort on a silver platter. All Voldemort had to do was spare the life of a child supposedly capable of becoming his equal and ensuring his death. With the entire magical world eatching that day, Voldemort seized control before they had a chance to stop him, naming himself King of Magic. Then he brought out the Potter family and agreed to spare their lives for their generous support, claiming their half-blood son as his heir.

Harry James Potter was blood adopted in front of an entire nation, his name changed to one Voldemort approved for an heir worthy of his lineage. Hadrianus Salazar Gaunt was the name the Dark Lord chose for his newly claimed son, and he was kind enough to gift the Potters the right to visit their son once a year on his birthday.

In the first year of Voldemort's reign, people cursed the Potter parents for selling out the lives of thousands for a single boy. As time passed and people grew to get used to a world run by a Dark Lord, the bitterness gave way to pity and understanding. What right had they to judge the actions of scared and desperate parents? They only did what they could to save the life of their child. It was an act of love that doomed the world of magic to a life of subjugation, and few could stay mad at the ones responsible because of this.

The world fell into the new life with as little fuss as they could manage. Under Voldemort's rule, life was simple. They were separated by blood and magic into classes. First class citizens were those of pureblood and high magical levels. Second class was comprised of purebloods of low or average magical levels. Third class citizens were halfbloods of any magical level. Fourth class were squibs. Fifth class were muggle born children, separated from all contact with the muggle world at the first sign of magic, and those labeled Blood Traitors. Sixth class were creatures, concidered even lower than the muggleborns. Each class had it's own benefits and restrictions, and their was no room for discord or rule breaking unless it was ones wish to die in a viscous and public manor, made examples of for their rebellion.

First class citizens were allowed jobs with high amounts of power and riches. They were protected, and they lived in luxury for doing the bidding of their Lord. They had three dark emerald bands tattooed around their left wrists to show their status.

Second class were only marginally less pampered than their superiors. Their tattoos were a few shades lighter green.

Third class marked the last class allowed to learn in schools. Fourth class citizens being unable to learn magic because they had none, and fifth and sixth class simply not allowed for lack of privilege. Occasionally a fifth or sixth class citizen would show promise, and they were allowed small learning privileges, or in a few rare cases of times before the change, allowed to teach with supervision.

Each class had bands of lighter colors than the last, from the Emerald of first class, to the pale jade offten lighter than the skin bearing it of sixth class. The first three classes had three bands, while the last three only wore one.

Many long months became years, and soon Voldemort was announcing an annual ball in honor of his heir. Every year on the second day of August, no matter what class they resided in, witches and wizards everywhere tried to make it to the gala. It was the social event of the year, even surpassing the Samhain Ball celebrating the Dark Lord's victory. The first ball was the first time they lay eyes on the Dark Heir since his adoption, and people were instantly captivated by the well mannered and clever three year old, kind to all no matter their status. He showed himself to be a remarkable child, truly well on his way to being able to stand equal to his father, and many rejoiced upon meeting him, knowing that when he came to rule they would have a just and fair new king.

The years passed in a blink of an eye, and soon the entire magical world was used to life under Voldemort. No one batted an eye at their status any longer. No one lost sleep after a rebel was publicly executed. Very few people stared down at the varying green bands decorating their wrists to show their station in life. On the sixth year of Voldemort's reign, the dark lord announced that he had succeeded in his endeavour to rid the world of Muggles, shaking the magical world up. He had succeeded in creating a spell to render all without magical potential sterile and unable to carry on their family lines. Many rejoiced, while others only pretended for fear of their lives, as the Dark Lord and King of the Magical World announced his plans to take over the muggle world as soon as he saw his spells progress.

More years passed, seasons changed, and pretty soon it was July 31, 1991. It was the morning of his eleventh birthday when Hadrianus Salazar Gaunt, once upon a time known as Harry James Potter, revived a birthday present that would change his life.


	2. Things That You Know

**~*~~*~~*~~*~**

**Author: Sensinister**

**Title: Gilded Cage**

**Chapter: 01 - Things That You Know**

**~*~**

_The Chimera Treaty: The agreement Lily Rosemary Evans Potter, James Charlus Potter, and Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as The Dark Lord Voldemort, came to on October 02, 1980, just twenty nine days before the Dark Lord won the war. It was an unbreakable vow signed by no less than one hundred seven people, including the aforementioned representatives of the dark side, Lead by Tom Marvolo Riddle, and the light side, Lead by Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore, of the Blood Wars. It stands as follows._

 

_We the following do swear to abide by the following terms, and hearby acknowledge our agreement of the following terms, on this, the second night of the tenth month of the year 1980._

_Lord Voldemort, born Tom Marvolo Riddle, hearby swears to cease all attempts to end the life of Harry James Potter, in exchange for James Charlus Potter and Lily Rosemary Evans Potter's cooperation in ending the war. In exchange for freely given information leading to the end of the war and defeat of the light side, Tom Marvolo Riddle hearby swears to spare the life of Harry James Potter._

_Harry James Potter's custody will be given to Tom Marvolo Riddle as a gesture of trust, and James Charlus Potter and Lily Rosemary Evans Potter will be allowed to send letters once a month, and visit their son once a year on his birthday. Harry James Potter shall be blood adopted as Tom Marvolo Riddle's heir, and protected to the best of Tom Marvolo Riddle's abilities._

_Lord Voldemort, Tom Marvolo Riddle, will spare all of muggle or creature decent in exchange for Harry James Potter's transfer of guardianship._

_Should either party go against the aforementioned terms, their magic will be forfit, and they will receive the Dementor's Kiss._

_So it has been said. So mote it be._

**  
**

**Summer 1991**

Upon the glorious and successful end of the war, Lord Voldemort gifted himself a palace. It stood upon an Island off the coast of Scotland, twice the size of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, constructed of smooth dark stone with many high towers and hundreds of rooms. It was surrounded on all sides by a huge forest of gnarled menacing trees that many believed cursed, and the murky gulf in which the island sat was a known nest for a family of basilisks. The wards around the island prevented even the most talented curse breakers from entering, for only the current lord of the house could change the wards.

In the highest room of the tallest tower of the palace was a large circular room an eleven year old boy by the name Hadrianus Salazar Gaunt called home. Were one to find themselves able to glimpse upon the boy, they would fond themselves faced with a small porcelain skinned boy with unruly silken hair of the darkest coal black hanging in wild elegance to his shoulder blades, and large fiery eyes of avada kedavra green. He was dressed in elegant black and green flowing silk robes, and he wore an intricate black leather choker necklace studded in emeralds and moonstones, with chains of silver hanging in loops that brush against the hollow of his throat. It was not the only jewelry the boy wore, for his ears are pierced in various places with studs of emerald and hoops of silver in both ears. A thin silver circlet sat upon his head, peaking out under his wild tresses to catch the light. It held a single gem at the front center, a white stone of pure magic the glimmered like a star trapped in the silver loops of the circlet. As Heir of the Dark Lord, and Prince of the magical world, Hadrianus was always required to be elegant and ethereal, even when no one could possibly see him.

Hadrianus lived a lonely life, his only company on most days being his tutors, his two body-slaves, and his guard. Even his Lord father rarely graces his presence except when they toke their evening meal. 

 A knock at his door caused the heir to look up from the book he was reading, and he watched as a girl with bushy brown hair and a boy with freckles and red hair entered his room with a plate of food. Behind them a tall man with long white blonde hair to his hips walked in, a snake-headed cane tapping on the ground before him. "Good morning Prince Hadrianus." the two his own age said with bows low to the ground on their knees, while the man simply walked over to him and brushes a kiss upon the back of Hadrianus's hand, lips touching the cold metal of his sigil ring.

"Good morning Ron. Good morning Hermione." he returned motioning for them to rise and come forward. They did stopping at a respectable distance in front of him. Hadrianus looked up at the man. "Good morning Lucius."

The man bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Good morning my lord."

He smiled at his three favorite people. Ron and Hermione had been gifts for his last birthday, but Hadrianus considers them friends, despite never being allowed to show it in public or private for fear of angering his lord father. Ron was of a family of blood traitors, but he was kind and funny with a love of Quidditch and chess. Hadrianus often had the boy play with him when he had free time to do so. Hermione was of a muggle born family she'd been separated from at age six. The eleven, nearly twelve, year old girl was very smart, and Hadrianus often wished fifth and sixth class citizens were allowed magical training because of it. He had tried often to get his lord father to allow them, or even just his two body slaves, rights to learning but he wouldn't budge, and Hadrianus loved the two too much to continue and risk their execution.

As body-slaves, Ron and Hermione represented the highest level a fifth class citizen could gain. They were required to take care of him in all ways, under the careful eyes of Hadrianus's bodyguard at all times. He didn't want to have slaves to be honest, it made him sick at the thought, but he knew that he had no choice in the matter as Prince of the magical world. His two friends were required to do all he asked, including if he so choose have sex with him, but Hadrianus was not like his lord father. He would not order someone to tend to such things. Hadrianus had seen his lord father's body-slaves, and he did not envy them. He treated Ron and Hermione with as much respect as he could, giving them freedom most did not have.

It had been his greatest act of kindness during their first few days that gave them friendship. Convincing his father to allow the two the ability to see their families was no easy task. Molly and Arthur Weasley were very aligned to the light, and they very rarely left the sanctity of Hogwarts. It was once a school, but now it was the base for the rebels of the light side. The Weasleys had seven children, only one of which was a girl, and three worked in the palace. Fred and George were two years older than Hadrianus, but because their pranks had impressed him, Lord Voldemort had spared their lives and appointed them as the court fools. The others of the family were active in the rebellion, including the girl, Ginevra, who was a year younger than her brother and Hadrianus. Hermione's parents, Jean and Herman Granger, were muggles, which made them even worse than blood-traitor rebels in his lord father's book. They didn't understand the war, but they knew they'd never see their child again. When Hadrianus told his brand new body-slaves that they would be allowed to see their parents every weekend, it forged a bond between them that was not easily broken.

Lucius was different from the other two, or indeed anyone else, in many ways. Lucius Malfoy was the Dark Lord Voldemort's most trusted Death Eater, his station in life higher than even the most highly thought of first class citizens and Death Eaters. He had been in Hadrianus's life since he was only a three month old baby brought to live in the palace as heir. Hadrianus didn't have a single memory without the tall blonde somewhere in it, whether looming silently in the background, or somewhere close by. He was Hadrianus's guard, the only one Hadrianus and Voldemort could trust with Hadrianus's life. Many of the other Death Eaters would sell their own souls for such trust, but Lucius was given it freely the day Voldemort came home and thrust him into the blondes arms with instruction to see to his care and protection. Hadrianus trusted Lucius more than he thought possible to trust anyone, and he had long ago learned never to trust everyone, including his own bodyguard who, should Voldemort ever wish it, would be required to kill him if asked by his lord father. Hadrianus liked to think Lucius would go against orders in that case, but he didn't delude himself into actually believing it.

"The Dark Lord has requested you take breakfast in your room before you meet your birth-mother and birth-father in the black room." Hermione told him, cutting his food into small bite sized pieces for him. She used a fork to hand a single bite of each part of his meal to Ron, who dutifully took a bite to check for poison. Lucius cast a spell just to be sure, and once the three were sure it was safe, they pushed the plate of cut fruits and sugared cream to him with a bowl to mix it as he wished. Hadrianus ate as quick as he could while not appearing rushed or lacking proper manners, before standing and bidding his two friends farewell as they got to work on cleaning his room.

Lucius offered his arm, which Hadrianus looped his own through, allowing the elder man to lead him away from his tower. They walked in silence quite a while before Hadrianus broke it. "How was Draco?" he asked quietly.

Lucius had divorced his wife Narcissa when Hadrianus was only four, after catching her in bed with their family lawyer. She was stripped of the title of Death Eater's Lady and given title as a simple second class lady, but she also gained custody of their son Draco, who Lucius was only allowed to see every weekend, and only under supervision of Narcissa. No one deluded themselves into believing she would have gotten that much had she not been whoring herself out to her lawyer. Draco was allowed to visit the palace once a month for two days without his mother, but Hadrianus didn't like him very much. He was spoiled and brash from spending so much time with his mother. He still asked about him every few days when he noticed he got a letter from the boy despite his dislike of him.

"He's quite well. Narcissa bought him a new elf yesterday." he answered. "He's taken to calling the creature Dobby and punishing him for no reason except that he can."

Hadrianus hummed lowly, frowning lightly. House Elves were slaves once, but now they were little more than exotic pets. "I'm glad he's well." he said carefully.

Lucius nodded suddenly coming to a stop. Hadrianus looked at him curiously. "For your birthday." the man said quietly. He held out a small black box with no decoration.

Hadrianus took it with a soft smile. Lucius's gifts were often his favorites. Only last year the man gave him a book about Veelas that was written in spelled ink that allowed only those with veela blood to read it, a secret between the two of them. Lucius was not as strictly pure as most believed. His mother was a Veela, just as Hadrianus's father was. No one knew of either of their parent's blood status, and the two strived to keep it that way. Even Draco didn't know, though he had taken after his mother in all but his looks, which were a lesser version of his father's cold beauty, and he showed no signs of having the gifts of being a Veela.

The box holds a single thin pale gold ring with three tiny blood red rubies encrusted in the band. "My lord father will hate these colors." he said.

Lucius said nothing, but the smirk on his lips spoke more than enough. Hadrianus chuckled, standing on his toes to kiss his bodyguard on the corner of his mouth. "Thank you Lucius." he whispered. "I love it."

"You are welcome." he returned, taking Hadrianus's left hand to slip it onto his finger directly below the silver purity ring on his wedding finger. It fit perfectly on his finger, and Hadrianus felt a rush of warmth. He looked at Lucius in curiosity. "It's charmed to lessen the power of the cruciatus." he said nonchalantly, as if it didn't even matter in the slightest.

Hadrianus froze, looking at the man in wonder. His lord father often put Hadrianus under the curse when he was having a bad day, or when he was bored, and eleven years of practice did nothing to lessen the sheer pain. Lucius smiled looping their arms once more to lead him to the room at the end of the hall. "Thank you." whispered the stunned child as his body guard let go of his arm to open the door. He smiled at his young charge and pushed open the door.

"Harry!" his vision was filled with red lilac scented hair as the woman hugged him. She let go only enough for her husband to join her, ignorant of the discomfort her son was feeling. Luckily Lucius was aware, and he gently broke them apart. Hadrianus sent him a grateful look.

"Hello mother." he greeted. "Hello father."

"We missed you Harry." James Potter said. His parents always called him Harry, not the name he was given at not even half a year of age.

Lily Evans Potter was a tall thin woman with hair the color of rome apples and eyes like emeralds. James Potter was a tanned man with messy dark brown hair and black eyes. Hadrianus took after his father in looks, except for his pale skin and sharp cheekbones from the Dark Lord blood adopting him, and his almond-round fox like eyes exactly like his mother's. His parents were kind people, although his father was immature, and Hadrianus often wondered how his life could have been had the light won and he was allowed to grow up beside them.

"I missed you too." Hadrianus answered honestly. They sat down on the black chaise lounge and Lucius came to stand just by his side, silent as a grave. He looked at his mother contemplatively. "You're pregnant." it's a statement, but the surprise is obvious.

"Six months." she said proudly. "I'm due November first."

"Just three short months and you'll be meeting your brand new baby sister." his father added. We were hoping you'd want to name her."

Hadrianus looked at the two smiling adults in shock. "Me?"

"Well of course." his mother said, taking his hand and placing it upon her swollen belly. The baby kicked and Hadrianus couldn't help but grab Lucius's hand to allow him the same miracle. His mother, to her credit, did not push Lucius's cold hand away, and she even stopped his father from attacking the Death Eater touching his wife. Lucius doesn't push his luck anyways, brushing his hands briefly over Hadrianus's in apology and comfort.

"Amaryllis." Hadrianus said softy. "Amaryllis Jacaranda Potter."

Lily Rosemary Evans Potter smiled at her stary eyed son. "A wonderful name sweetheart."

"Will I be allowed to see her when she is born?" Hadrianus questioned.

No one answered the question, unsure if Lord Voldemort would allow the child out of the palace. Hadrianus had not set foot outside passed the forest and the ocean as far as the craggly rock formation two miles out since he was brought there all those years ago. He wasn't allowed passed the wards.

"Perhaps we can secure permission to allow her birth in our own medical bay." Lucius suggested carefully, drawing the stares of everyone in the room. Hadrianus grinned.

"Oh can we?" he pleaded. "We have only the best healers in the entire world in our hospital wing. You'd be well cared for."

His parents hesitated.  "We'll think about it." His father said finally, and his mother nodded in agreement. Hadrianus pretended he didn't take that as the no intended.

Silence reigned for a few long minutes. "So is there anything new with you Harry?"

The child shrugged, brushing coal black tresses from his face. "Not really. Not much has changed since we last traded letters." he answered. "There really isn't much to do here." His mother caught his hand in hers to examine the ring sparkling innocently on his finger.

"This is new." She pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "It's beautiful."

Hadrianus's lips pulled into a genuine and gentle smile. "It is." he agreed. "It was a birthday gift."

His mother blinked in surprise. "How did Ron and Hermione afford such a lovely bit of jewelry?" she sputtered.

Hadrianus laughed. "It is not from Ron or Hermione, mom."

His father grinned. "If not one of them, then who would buy such a gift?" he asked.

"Lucius gave it to me." Hadrianus deadpanned, quirking an eyebrow into an amused and defiant arch.

For some strange reason both his parents sent Lucius truly poisonous looks of disdain. Hadrianus looked at his seething parents in confusion, wondering what would cause such pure fury and hate. He doesn't have to wonder long.

"That's a courtship ring." his father spat venomously. "You are twenty five years his senior, and five years mine. What even caused you to think pursuing my underage son was a good idea?" he roared.

Hadrianus flushed with anger on both his and Lucius's behalf, though there was a small hint if embarrassment as well. Lucius, to his credit, simply raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "It's a protective charm, not that an ignorant blood traitor like yourself would know that. If it was a courtship ring he wouldn't still be wearing his purity ring. Don't think so little of me." he returned with a cold glare and a biting tone.

"Don't think so little of me either." Hadrianus spat at his parents in a similar tone, the years of dealing with his lord father's death eaters having allowed him to perfect his own cold graceful fury that always seemed to him not even fractionally as terrifying as Lucius's. "I'm hardly a naive child. The fact you would accuse me of entering a courtship without blessings shows you clearly think me a harlot."

He stood gracefully, the sweeping robes pulling perfectly around him. "Good day." he said, ignoring their protests, and Lucius followed him out with a regretful and apologetic glance over his shoulder. Hadrianus didn't stop walking until he realized he had no clue where he was, and then he slumped inelegantly against the nearest wall.

"I'm sorry." he whispered to the blonde leaning against the wall beside him, fingers curled in his hair. He was trying very hard to keep control of his emotions for fear of bursting into tears.

"It is I who should be offering apologies." Lucius Malfoy said. "I should have given it to you later so they had no reason to assume such of you."

Hadrianus said nothing, but a few seconds later Lucius was sliding down to sit next to him on the ground, long limbs caging him into a hug. Hadrianus stiffened for a moment by habit, but relaxed as his brain remembered Lucius wouldn't hurt him. "I can only see them an hour a year, and I ran out without saying farewell or telling them I love them." he spoke into the man's shoulder.

Lucius stroked his hair. "I know." he whispered. "It's alright, you know. They know you love them. You don't have to be strong when it's just you and I."

Hadrianus toke it as the permission given, and sobbed openly into the mans shoulder, hands fisted in his immaculate robes.

**~*~**

Hadrianus sat quietly at the kitchen table, awaiting the arrival of his lord father. The house elves had prepared a feast in his honor, but he wasn't really in the mood. Voldemort pushed into the room, motioning for Lucius to join them at the table. The blonde bodyguard sat to Hadrianus's left, and Voldemort sat all the way across the table. Hadrianus felt a hand squeeze his leg in reassurance, and he curled his fingers through the ones on his thigh for a second, before their hands separated.

It was a little known fact that Lucius Abraxus Malfoy was like a cat. He was a cold, unyielding, purist without a heart in public, but if he trusted you enough, he became a kind, attention demanding, thoughtful person who showed affection in small touches and thoughtful acts. Knowing the man for eleven years had forged a strange friendship between the eleven and thirty six year old. Hadrianus had seen him at his worst, just as Lucius had witnessed him in the moments no one should ever see. They trusted each other.

"Hadrianus." Voldemort started. He looked up. "Your parents left a gift for you in the Black room, and refused to leave until I gave my word that I would pass on an apology. You will tell me what could have happened to make them risk their tongues to demand something of me."

"My birthparents accidentally insulted me by insinuating that I would enter a courtship without asking blessing from them or you." he answered quietly. "I'll admit I left shortly thereafter, and could not return after cooling my head as per your rules. Apologies, my lord."

Voldemort frowns in anger. "You deliberately disobeyed my order to stay in the room with your birthparents, regardless of circumstances beyond your control." he hissed. "I gave explicit instructions to stay in the Black Room for the full hour. Did you not think there was a reason?"

"I am so sorry." he lowered his head in shame. "I allowed my temper to get the best of me."

"Your apology is not acceptable." Voldemort said. "You will join me in the Red Room for punishment after your meal. Your cooperation in this is not in question. I have graciously rescheduled your hour with your parents to three days from now. You will be there."

Hadrianus nodded.  "Yes father."

The rest of the  meal passed in silence. He let Lucius lead him to the red room after lord Voldemort, and when the trio entered, Walden McNair grinned. His punishment was enacted shortly thereafter. Walden lived to enact punishment, and he never showed kindness, especially to Hadrianus, who was forbidden to show his pain during punishment. He was bound to a pair of steel poles, naked to his waist without anything but his boots and trousers. Fifty lashes with a whip later, and Voldemort placed him under a cruciatus curse for ten whole minutes. The ring only lessened the pain fractionally.

Later Hadrianus sat on his bed with newly bandaged skin, and he picked up a small gold box, the gift left by his parents.  He opened the box, cutting himself on a sharp cold edge that he wasn't stupid enough to think of as a bit of paper or an accidental thing, and then suddenly there was a jerk and he was sitting at the feet of an old man with twinkling blue eyes. His parents sat in the background with a group of people he didn't recognize, and a red haired girl he recognized as Ron's creepy younger sister.

"Hello Harry." he said. "My name is Albus Dumbledore. Welcome to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. You're safe now."

Hadrianus stared, wondering how he'd get out of this mess.


End file.
